When making any stew, the challenge is in choosing the best cut of meat to result in a tender, flavorful and lean dish. For fork-tender bites, ideal lean meat choices are beef chuck (either chuck roast or chuck shoulder) or beef round (bottom round roast and top round roast).

“I enjoy using different vegetables in place of the more ordinary,” says Sharp Grossmont outpatient dietitian Ursula Ridens, a member of Sharp’s Nutrition Education and Counseling Program team. “The original recipe was easy to modify by using parsnips and rutabaga instead of potatoes, as well as using multi-colored carrots, resulting in a nourishing meal boasting fiber and antioxidants. This will definitely be a repeat recipe in my house.”